RECESSED SEPTEMBER MEETING THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010 THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010 NINE THIRTY A.M. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA STATE OF ILLINOIS COUNTY OF WILL County Executive Walsh called the meeting to order. Member Seiler led in the Pledge of Allegiance to our Flag. Member Seiler introduced Rev. Herbert Brooks, St. John’s Church of Joliet who delivered the invocation. Roll call showed the following Board members present: Bilotta, Adamic, Anderson, Deutsche, Singer, Laurie Smith, Weigel, Dralle, McPhillips, Wisniewski, Kusta, Maher, Traynere, Blackburn, Goodson, Brian Smith, Gould, May, Rozak, Konicki, Seiler, Brooks, Stewart, Babich, Wilhelmi and Moustis. Total: Twenty-six. Absent: Winfrey. Total: One COUNTY EXECUTIVE WALSH DECLARED A QUORUM PRESENT. Member Adamic made a motion, seconded by Member Traynere, the Certificate of Publication be placed on file. Voting Affirmative were: Bilotta, Adamic, Anderson, Deutsche, Singer, Laurie Smith, Weigel, Dralle, McPhillips, Wisniewski, Kusta, Maher, Traynere, Blackburn, Goodson, Brian Smith, Gould, May, Rozak, Konicki, Seiler, Brooks, Stewart, Babich, Wilhelmi and Moustis. Total: Twenty-six. No negative votes. THE CERTIFICATE OF PUBLICATION IS PLACED ON FILE. Member Stewart made a motion, seconded by Member Seiler, to approve the March 18, 2010 County Board Minutes. Voting Affirmative were: Bilotta, Adamic, Anderson, Deutsche, Singer, Laurie Smith, Weigel, Dralle, McPhillips, Wisniewski, Kusta, Maher, Traynere, Blackburn, Goodson, Brian Smith, Gould, May, Rozak, Konicki, Seiler, Brooks, Stewart, Babich, Wilhelmi and Moustis. Total: Twenty-six. No negative votes. THE MINUTES FOR THE MARCH 18, 2010 COUNTY BOARD MEETING HAVE BEEN APPROVED. 263 RECESSED SEPTEMBER MEETING THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010 Elected officials present were: Auditor, Duffy Blackburn; Circuit Clerk, Pam McGuire; County Clerk, Nancy Schultz Voots; County Executive, Larry Walsh; Sheriff, Paul Kaupas; State’s Attorney, James Glasgow; and Treasurer; Pat McGuire. News media present were: Michael Cleary, Farmers Weekly Review; Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune. CITIZENS TO BE HEARD County Executive Walsh announced there are citizens to be heard and they will be able to speak at the appropriate time. HONORARY RESOLUTIONS/PROCLAMATIONS County Executive Walsh asked Member McPhillips to come forward and present a Proclamation Recognizing Girl Scout Troup #70164 for Achieving Gold Award. Member McPhillips began good morning, if we can have the girls come up and their guests as well. While they’re coming up, it made me feel old that Ms. Melissa Johannsen that I went to high school with, her daughter is Megan who’s receiving a Gold Award, she’s graduating from high school so that made me feel old, and then when they said they would give me a large print copy to read from that really made me feel old. I do feel old today. Congratulations and also how many County Board Members were Scouts….Scout Leaders…. PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING GIRL SCOUT AMBASSADOR TROOP 164 FOR ACHIEVING GOLD AWARD WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Will County Board and the Will County Executive to recognize outstanding achievements of individuals and organizations in Will County, and WHEREAS, Hannah Webb, Ashley Nuzzo, Megan Johannsen and Sarah Zych are members of Girl Scout Ambassador Troop 164, and WHEREAS, the girls have earned several badges and awards and have taken many trips together, which has helped them develop qualities that will serve them all their lives, such as strong values, social conscience and a conviction about their own potential and self-worth, and WHEREAS, the Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout ages 14 to 18 can earn; it recognizes leadership, effort and impact the girls have had on their communities. Girls complete a project that fulfills a need within their community and creates change, and WHEREAS, for their Gold Award, Troop 164 created a Youth Memorial in Peotone Cemetery to honor all the children who have passed away in the surrounding communities, and 264 RECESSED SEPTEMBER MEETING THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010 WHEREAS, through much hard work and dedication, Troop 164 has “Gone for the Gold.” NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Will County Executive and the Will County Board hereby congratulate Girl Scout Ambassador Troop 164 on achieving their Gold Award. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ceremony and dedication for Girl Scout Ambassador Troop 164 was held on Sunday, April 11, 2010 at the Peotone Cemetery, Peotone, Illinois. DATED THIS 15TH DAY OF APRIL, 2010. __________________________ LAWRENCE M. WALSH WILL COUNTY EXECUTIVE ATTEST: ________________________________ NANCY SCHULTZ VOOTS WILL COUNTY CLERK Member McPhillips made a motion, seconded by Member Rozak, Proclamation Recognizing Girl Scout Troop #70164 for Achieving Gold Award be approved. Voting Affirmative were: Bilotta, Adamic, Anderson, Deutsche, Singer, Laurie Smith, Weigel, Dralle, McPhillips, Wisniewski, Kusta, Maher, Traynere, Blackburn, Goodson, Brian Smith, Gould, May, Rozak, Konicki, Seiler, Brooks, Stewart, Babich, Wilhelmi and Moustis. Total: Twenty-six. No negative votes PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING GIRL SCOUT TROOP #70164 FOR ACHIEVING GOLD AWARD IS APPROVED. Member McPhillips went on to say also County Executive Walsh was at the ceremony, I was at the ceremony, it was just awesome, words I can’t describe it. You guys did a wonderful job. We’re going to present all of them with a Letter of Congratulatory Message as well. We’ll let Megan Johannsen introduce everybody. Girl Scout Megan Johannsen stated hello. This here is Vicky Linko; she was the one who helped us create our monument and bench that we put up in the cemetery. Without her I don’t think any of this could really happen because she was amazing through all of this. Also introduced were Hannah Webb, Ashley Nuzzo and Sarah Zych. Also Mrs. Kathy Webb, Girl Scout Troop Leader. Mrs. Kathy Webb, Girl Scout Troop Leader, stated hi to everyone. 265 RECESSED SEPTEMBER MEETING THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010 Girl Scout Megan Johannsen continued saying that Ms. Kathy Webb is the most spirited, and kind hearted woman you would ever meet. We wouldn’t be as strong of girls without her. My troop and I have, we’re the best of friends and we’ve learned so much through these two years that we’ve been working on our Gold Award. And I would like to thank all of you who have made donations toward our award and the actual construction. Without you this Award and everything we have done would not have been possible. I know a lot of you for the last thirteen years of my life have bought cookies from me, supported all of us, and without that…it helps all of us girls to go to camp and learn more and become better and stronger girls. So we would like to thank all of you. Ms. Vicki Linko came forward and stated that I am very proud of these young women. One thing I always say about our youth…that they are going to accomplish things. There is one saying that I have and that is there is nothing that you cannot achieve if you have the passion to achieve it and the vision to see it. And they have all that. I am very proud of them. Thank you. Member McPhillips continued saying that there have been several Eagle Scouts which have been here preparing for Boy Scouts. But in twenty-two years I don’t think we have had the Girl Scouts. Congratulations. Ms. Kathy Webb, Girl Scout Leader, stated this is worse than Sunday let me tell you. I want to thank everyone for being with us and walking us through this journey. It means so very much to see four individual young ladies. When we first started this journey there was a whole lot of discussion, round table discussion and a whole lot of diva drama. And, you know, they worked hard. And as Girl Scouts, our motto is to grow strong and that is exactly what these four young ladies did. We went camping in Eagle Cave a few years ago and it was cold and we were the only ones in that cave and we had bruises from head to toe and they grew strong that weekend but we grew stronger this weekend. With facing the deaths of our friends…at second grade level we lost a little Girl Scout to a terrible car accident in Monee. And then losing our best friend Thomas that was a friend in their circle, to an ATV accident. So when these girls decided that this is what they wanted to do it started with a big old rock out of the farmer’s field in Peotone. And we were going to put little tags on it. Then we tweaked it up. You’ll see pictures of it I’m sure. This is the girl’s decision. It was their decision. We stepped back and we were the advisors. It was hard to do. It was hard to advise them. But my co-leader, Gloria, she’s at work today. She’s sorry that she could not be here. We watched these girls grow so strong and that’s exactly what Girl Scout’s do. We grow strong. And there is a motto that I like to use. A phrase that I like to use; it’s referenced from Singer John Mellencamp, and we all know who John Mellencamp is and that’s suck it up and tough it out and be the best you can. And that’s exactly what these young girls did. And thank you today and County Executive Walsh, thank you so very much for coming out and spending that beautiful day at the cemetery with us all. Thank you again. County Executive Walsh asked if County Board Member May would please come forward and read Proclamation Recognizing Minooka Wrestling Team Winning State Championship.